Oral hygiene is one of the most important aspects of personal care among consumers. Consumers all over the world use different types of products for oral care as a part of maintaining dental hygiene. People routinely brush their teeth with a toothbrush and a dentifrice which includes toothpaste or toothpowder or mouthwash at least two times a day. Use of such brushing ensures maintaining good oral hygiene by minimizing oral bacteria that accumulate in the mouth over the course of sleeping in the night or during the course of the day when people eat their food and consume beverages. Brushing regularly thus minimizes problems like cavities, tartar, gingivitis, caries, and bad breath, also known as halitosis.
In spite of brushing teeth twice a day, many people suffer from various forms of one or more of the above named diseases associated with dental hygiene and this is believed to be caused by bacteria acting in the oral mucosa over about twelve hour period between brushing period. In addition, Problems relating to teeth are also caused by cavity formation, dental caries, and chemical dissolution caused by acids, or erosion. These continue to be a major dental health problem among adults. Due to various factors, caries in particular is increasingly a problem for the ageing adult population who still have their own teeth. Such factors include impaired motor coordination, lack of motivation, reduced salivary secretion and use of medication or general ill health.
Dental plaque occurs in the form of a film, on virtually all dental surfaces. It is a by-product of microbial growth, and comprises a dense microbial layer consisting of a mass of microorganisms embedded in a polysaccharide matrix. Plaque itself adheres firmly to dental surfaces and is removed only with difficulty even through a rigorous brushing regimen. Moreover, plaque rapidly reforms on the tooth surface after it is removed. Plaque may form on any part of the tooth surface, and is found particularly at the gingival margin, in cracks in the enamel, and on the surface of dental calculus. The danger associated with the formation of plaque on the teeth lies in the tendency of plaque to build up and eventually produce gingivitis, periodontitis and other types of periodontal disease, as well as dental caries and dental calculus.
Gingivitis is characterized by inflammation or infection of the gums and the alveolar bones that support the teeth. Gingivitis is generally believed to be caused by bacteria in the mouth (particularly the bacteria instigated in plaque formation) and the toxins formed as by-products from the bacteria. The plaque and bacterial toxins are believed to be the causative agents for oral tissue inflammation within the mouth. Periodontitis is a progressively worsened state of disease as compared to gingivitis, where the gums are inflamed and begin to recede from the teeth and pockets begins to form in the recession, which ultimately may result in destruction of the bone and periodontal ligament. Thus, chronic infection and inflammation potentially results in subsequent loss of teeth.
Human periodontal diseases are inflammatory disorders that are result of complex interactions between oral pathogens and the host's immune response. It is believed that there are two interrelated aspects to the progression of periodontal disease, the first is the activation of the immune system of the host and the second is the production of oxygen radicals and their related metabolites. Increased production of oxygen radicals may contribute to oxidative stress, which is believed to be involved in periodontal disease. It is well established that tooth decay, development of plaque, plaque build-up, gingivitis, periodontal disease and other conditions of the oral cavity are associated with pathogens such as Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Actinomyces naeslundii, and/or Streptococcus mutans, among many others.
Oral cleansing can prevent not only dental caries but also periodontosis. Conventional oral cleaning is done by brushing the teeth and using dentifrice products such as tooth paste, toothpowders and mouthwash, in order to improve the cleaning effect on teeth, remove dental plaque and prevent dental caries.
In solving the above oral care problems, the approach so far has been to use synthetic materials (e.g. Triclosan) in oral care products, which are believed by many consumers to be harsh on them. Consumers in recent times are gathering more awareness towards the harmful effects of synthetic ingredients used in dental hygiene products and prefer using products that contain natural materials. Further, in many countries, culturally or otherwise, people are reluctant to using alcohol in their mouthwashes. In addition, oral care products containing fluoride can also lead to serious health concerns other than dental fluorosis.
Oral care compositions containing a variety of active ingredient combinations are disclosed in a number of prior art publications. U.S. Patent publication US20130295027 discloses an oral care composition comprising antimicrobial essential oil. PCT publication WO2002092028 A2 shows an oral care composition comprising oral care actives and antibacterial plant extract. U.S. Pat. No. 8,715,625 discloses natural oral care composition with a limited number of naturally derived, naturally processed safe ingredients. U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,472 relates to a tooth and gum powdered dentifrice formulated with multiple ingredients acting synergistically. U.S. Patent publication US20060198795 A1 discloses a multi-component oral care composition for enhancing the effects of tooth whitening and or cleaning.
Conventional oral care products generally employ synthetic agents as active ingredients such as triclosan, sodium lauryl sulphate and toxic agents such as sodium fluoride, artificial dyes and hydrated silica in addition to other chemical substances. Furthermore, procuring and usage of separate oral care products for cleansing, whitening, re-mineralization, anti-plaque, anti-gingivitis activity and antibacterial activity proves to be cumbersome and expensive. Further limitations of the prior art oral care compositions includes inefficient removal of toxins, inefficient action against tooth decay and gum infections.
In spite of all these approaches and attempts to provide oral care compositions for dental hygiene, it remains desirable to provide still an improved oral care composition made from naturally occurring products for complete dental care including tooth whitening, enamel repair, activity against gingivitis and plaque.